Thread-feeding attachment fob knitting machines



' y l 27. May 3 9 E. .L Lor'rMAN THREAD FEEDING: TTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MGHINES Filed Jan. 2. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JRTTORNEY.

May 3, 1921. 1,627,534

E. .Le LOTTMAN THREAD FEEDINQ ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 2. 192s s'sneets-sneet 2 59" Tamm ATTORNEY.

.M .y 3, 1927. A 1,627,534

. J. LorfrMAN 'Fi-IREM!)j FEEISING ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES med Jan. 2.l 192s s sheets-sheet s "fz 75 7b. 4'

hasta. May 3, 1927. y

v11min-:1) STATES Pairala'r.y orales.

EDWARD I. Lo'r'InAN, or ,cINeINNA'IL oHI'o. AssIGNoB or ONE-mimi' 'ro WALTER. B.

BAssET'I, 0F CINCINNATI, omo.

THREAD-FEEDIKG ATTACHMENT FOR XNITTING MACHINES.

as circular knitting machines, such as are usedv for making seamless knitted elastic 5 stockings, and the like.

In these machines the shape of the article is alterated by varying the length of the elastic thread fed in the machine relatively to the circumference of the needles.

In making such anfelastic stocking. it is usual to knit the elastic thread inlbetween two outer threads made of cotton or other material: so, that when the stocking is knitted it will consist of .an outer and an inner face of fibrous material. between which are knitted the elastic threads.

In machines of this character, only`one stocking can be knitted at a time.

It is the object of my invention to make 20 an attachment which can be applied to a l knitting machine of this character and the attachment will feed the elastic materialto our machines, or a less or a greater numer; thus a multiplicity of stockings of this character can be knitted at one and the same time.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification: Fig. 1, is a plan view of my attachment, shown in connection with a knitting machine,

Fig. 2, is a side view of my attachment,

Iig. 3, is a front view of same,

Fig. 4, is a side View of a knitting machine partly broken away, showing parts of my attachment which are connected to the present knitting machine,

Fig. 5, is a section on line 5, of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6, is a side view of the internal cylinder which I use in connection with the knitand I Fig. 7 is a broken view of parts shown in Fig. 6.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a .supporting frame work, formed of four legs 1. and on these legs I place' a top piece 2` and between same I place `a supporting rack 3. On the top piece 2, at the rear, I place vertical supports 4, connected at the -top by thefcross-piece 5, forming a forting machine, when using my attachment,

.'lateral action.

ydownward it carries with it the pull rod 41,

Application Med January 2, 1923. Serial No. 610,125.

threads which wi 1 be referred to hereafter.

My attachment is preferabl used in conwardlyA extendin support forithe elastic nection with, and applied to w at are known At one side of the attachment-I provide v two vertical guides 6, which are also supported and are held together b the cross-` iece 7 at the bottom and at t e top by a caring crossiece 8. These guides 6y are preferably U-s aped as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, for the reasons hereinafter set forth. j

The knitting machine, marked 9, is attached to the table 2, by a bracket 10. but..

may be attached in any preferredmanner. The knitting machine is generally of what is known as the cylinder type. It maybe stated here that the knitting machine operates the attachment, through the medium of gear 12 on the knitting machine engagingv the gear 13 of the attachment.

The gear 13 is mounted on shaft 14 of the bracket 15. On this same shaft, I selcurely mount the pulley 16 carrying the belt 17, which engages a ulley 18, mounted on the shaft 19 in the hearings' 20. On this same shaft 19, I mount the c'one pulle 21, on which pulley passes an adjustmg 1t 22, the other end of which passes over a cone pulley 23; this pulley is mounted on the shaft 24 and is journaled in the bearings 2 5, and on the shaft 24 I mount a pulley 26 on which travels the vertical belt 27; the other end of which passes over pulley 28, which is mounted on a shaft 29 journaled in bracket 30. On the shaft 29 I also mount a feed roller 31 which contacts with a pressure roller 32, suitably mounted ina. slotted bearing 33.

The brackets 30 are mounted on the uprights 4 and in the back and in line with the contact surface of the rollers 28 and 32, I place the guide plate 34.

- As the gear 12 on the knitting machine is I revolved, a lug 35, which is securely fastened to the gear 12, carries a bearing 36 in which is mounted a roller 37, which presses down the lever 38 at each revolution; this lever 38 is mounted in the bracket 39 and is guided by the guide 40 from any side or As this lever is brought which operates a bell-crank 42, which fulcrums at point 43 and in turn operates the lever 44 through the medium of the pull rod 45; the lever 44 isfulcrumed at the bearing 46 and is of the curved shape as shown (see Fig. 1). At the opposite end from bearing 46, in the lever 44 I provide a slot 47, into which a pin 48 engages. This pin is mounted in the bell-crank 49. at one end of said bell-crank and at the other end of said bellcrank I mount a compression spring 50 which holds the reversible pawl 51 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 52; the aWl 51 being mounted at point 53 in the gell-crank lever 49. Said bell-crank is looselv mounted on the hub 52 of the ratchet wheel 52. and the ratchet wheel 52 being the female nut of the spiral or screw 53.

The end of the spiral or screw just above referred to, is the end which is mounted in the cross-piece' 8; its other end is securely mounted in a housing 54, which is fastened to a cross-arm 55. which carries the guide rollers 56', 56'; this cross-arm 55 has securely fastened thereto at its4 middle, one end of the forming or pattern cam 56, the other end 4thereof being connected at the middle of a cross-piece 57, which carries the guide rollers 58, 58, at each end of said cross-piece 57.

In the slot 59, a roller 60 travels. which is loosely mounted at one end of an arm 61, the other end of said arm being .fastened to the guide plate. 62, which rides or is guided in the guides 63.

Mounted on this guide plate 62 are the belt Shifters 64, 64.

In order to properly operate my attachment I provide auxiliary means which I attach to a knitting machine, which I will now describe.

At the point 70, I place a bracket 71. upon which is mounted concentric arm 72, having adjusting slot 73. into which tits or slides an adjusting block 74 (see Figs. 1 and 4). This guide block carries a tubular thread guide 75. through its center and at one side an additional guide 76 having the follower 77.

To the bottom side of a part 78 of the knitting machine, I mount thereon a cylinder 79, having at point 8O the recess 81, preferably U-shaped (see Figs. 4 and 7), to allow space for an adjusting arrangement on the knitting machine.

While the knitting machine is being operated, the roller 37 revolves with the gear. wheel 12 and with each revolution of the said gear 12. the roller 37 engages or presses down the lever 38; this lever through the agency of rod 41 pulls downwardly on the bell-crank 42. which. in turn, fulcrums at point 43, and thus pulls forwardly another pull rod 4T this pull rod carries forward the lever 44, which operates the pawl 51 and causes the ratchet nut 52 to turn on the nonrotatable screw 53 and cause the latter to rise stepby step. This action takes place as before. stated with each revolution of the gear 12 on the knitting machine.

As the ratchet wheel 52 is rotated, as before stated, it causes the screw 53 to rise and carry upward the cross-piece guides55 and 57, between which is held the forming cam or pattern 56. Thus said cam iselevated and through this elevation the shape of the stocking is varied as to contour. By reason of the belt 22 passing over the cone pulleys v21 and 23, the motion imparted to the thread feeding rollers 32 and 33 will be accelerated or retarded, because the belt shifter 64 will direct the belt' to and fro over the face. of said cone pulleys. The arm 61 which carries said belt Shifters 64, the plate 62 and the roller 60 operating in the slot 59 are the means for obtaining said to and fro action, which varies the length of the rubber thread to tit and work into the stocking as the latter is being knitted.

To reverse this operation, it is merely necessary to manually change the position of the pawl 51, which will remain in either position in which it is placed, by the compression spring 50. When the pawl is reversed the reversal ot` the operation of the knitting machine will canse a stocking to be knit reversely. This gear 13 being mounted on the same shaft with the pulley 16, revolves same and transmits power to belt 17 which operates over pulley 18 turning the shaft 19 of the cone pulley 21, this revolving said pulley; the belt 22 passing over pulley 21 gives power to pulley 28, this pulley being on same shaft with another pulley 85 and over this pulley passes the vertical belt 27, and the belt 27 also passing over pulley 28 revolves the shaft. 29 on which the guide roller 31 is mounted, thus motion is imparted to the said guide roller.

The pressure roller 32 is revolved through the action of pulley 31 and in doing so the elastic thread is drawn through the pulley 86. then through the guide 34, then through the pull rollers 31 and 32 and finally out over the guide rollers 87, to be transmitted to a. knitting machine.

This thread will then pass through the guide tube 75 and also through the follower 77 and around the cylinder 79.

It will be understood that the accelerated or retarded motion that is attained through the cone pulleys will also be transmitted to the guide or pull rollers 31 and 32, by reason of belt 27 being on same shaft as the cone pulley 23.

It will be noted in the present attachment that I provide four leads for delivering the elastic thread, one to each of four knitting machines. A

I preferably deliver the elastic thread or cord to each of the knitting machines, at

approximately the same time and under thc same conditions. I

.lt will be understood that I may connect my attachment to any kind of knittingr machine ivhicb will perform the desired work.

It willie 'furthcramdeisteodmtl1at the knitting machine or machines mawv be used to knit Stockings, socks. or the like only made of fabric` Without the elastic cord or thread;

lunder these conditions and circumstances,

in v attachment may be disconnected from the knittingY machine while such other u'ork is being: done upon the knitting' machine.

While l have. described one specific means for carrying my invention into effect, it will be readilv apparent that the same may be changed and modified without departingr from the principle and spirit of the invention; the form shown and described beimgr however preferred.

lVhat I claim as new and mv invention and desire to secure by Letters latent is:-

l. ln mechanism for fe,edin; r elastic thread to knitting' machines, a frame` superposed elongated gripping rolls arranged at the upper portion of the frame for feeding th'.` thread, thread guiding means arranged at the upper portion of the frame for guiding a plurality of threads relativclv to the gripping: rolls, oppositely disposed conicalrolls rotatably mounted in the frame at a vlower level than the grippingrolls` means for drivingr one'of the feedingr rolls from one of the conical rolls, a belt connecting the conical rolls, a belt shifter for movincr the belt along; the conical rolls for varyingr the speed ofvrotation of the feedingr rolls. an arm connected to the belt shifter, a rectilinearl)y movable member having a cam groove engaging: the last mentioned arm, vertical guides arranged atone side of the frame, a carriage connected to the cam member and arranged to reciprocate in said guides` means for driving one of the conical rolls, aml 1neans for raising,r and lowering,r said carriage.

2. In mechanism for feeding elastic thread to knitting machines, snperposed gripping rolls for feedinzgr the thread. oppositely dis-4 posed conical rolls. means for drivingY one of the feed rolls from oneof the conical rolls. a belt connecting the conical rolls, a belt-shifter for moving the belt along the conical rolls for varying the speed of rotation ot' the feeding rolls, an arm connected ,to the belt shifter and carnvineV a roller, a

rectilinear-ly movable member having;` a cam groove engaging the last. mentioned roller, a carriage connected to the cam member, straight tracks for said carriage, a screw ,secured to the carriage, a rotatable nut engaging the screw for movingthe later axiallv. a ratchet wheel connected to the nut, a bell crank lever, a paivl 0n `the bell crank lever adapted to engage the ratchet wheel for actuating the lattenv and means for intermittently rockingr said bell crank lever.

3. ln mechanism for feeding: elastic thread to knitting machines, as claimed in claim Q, thc laatl mentioned means including a rocking' lever pivotally connected to the bell crank lever. a second bell crank lever, a link coiiinii'tiiig the second bell crank lever to the rocking level', a second rocking lever, a link connectiner the last n'lentioncd bell crank lever to the second rockingy lever. said .second rocking lever beiner adapted rto be oscillated intermittently b v a movable part of a knittinglr machine.

l'n testimony whereof. I attix my signataire at; Cincinnati, Ohio, this 28th day of December, 1922.

EDWARD J. LoT'rMAN. 4 

